Which three factors make optical a critical component of service provider networking? (Choose three.)

Question

Options

• AOptical hardware has a long 10-15 year life span.
• BOptical local area networks are gaining in popularity.
• CPacket networking and optical hardware are converging.
• DOptical hardware churns frequently and needs frequent replacement.
• EOptical networking is the foundation of all WANs.
• FMany models of optical hardware have reached end-of-life.

• A
  90% (27)
• B
  3% (1)
• F
  7% (2)

Explanation

Optical is critical to service provider networking for three durable reasons: its hardware lasts 10-15 years (A), making it a long-term infrastructure investment rather than a rapidly churning cost center; packet/IP networking and optical transport are converging into unified platforms (C), eliminating the traditional separation between layers and driving efficiency; and optical physically underlies every wide area network on the planet (E), making it inseparable from service provider infrastructure.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• B is false - optical is a WAN/backbone technology, not an LAN technology; Ethernet dominates LANs.
• D contradicts A - optical hardware does not churn frequently; its longevity is precisely what makes it strategically significant.
• F is a trap - while some gear does reach end-of-life, this is not a factor that makes optical critical; it would actually be a liability argument.

Memory tip: Think "ACE the WAN" - optical has Age (long lifespan), Convergence (with packet), and is the Everywhere foundation of WANs. If an answer implies optical is short-lived or LAN-focused, eliminate it immediately.

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